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Local chef revives restored Linden hotel

Special to The Herald

From sack lunches to soufflés, executive chef Michael Grauer has come a long way to find his calling running a small restaurant down the road in Linden.

From private clubs to chain restaurants and hotels like Red Lobster and the Marriott, Grauer has learned the restaurant business from every angle. From server to bartender to chef, his new challenge is to “make his mark” by showcasing his signature style and getting back to his rural roots in Middle Tennessee.

Grauer discovered an ad for head chef at the Commodore Hotel & Café in Linden.

“I read the ad and thought, this could be good,” said Grauer. “I showed it to my wife, and she said, ‘You gotta go there.’”

After meeting the owners Michael and Kathy Dumont, Grauer was impressed. Their dedication, commitment and tenacity in restoring and renewing a dilapidated, downtown landmark building and in striving to make it a successful business were inspiring.

“I wanted to be part of that,” says Grauer. “I wanted to share in a more intimate venue.”

After 12 years between Embassy Suites and the Marriott Hotel in Franklin, Grauer knows how to feed a crowd — up to 1,600 in one day, in fact. And feed them very well. From gourmet to country favorites, Grauer has a flair that made a recent customer remark, “from Maine to Spain, those are the best crab cakes I have ever tasted!”

Grauer’s path started with a heart attack. His father traveled a lot for his job, and his mother cared for Grauer and his four brothers and sisters. When Grauer was 12, “Mom had a heart attack, and survived, but was severely limited in what she could do,” says Grauer. “I was the second oldest (child). My older brother — to this day – can’t boil water, so I was in the kitchen, making sack lunches for my brothers and sisters.”

Grauer was also cooking family dinners “with Mom’s coaching” when he was in junior high.

When he entered the workforce, he was a server and bartender. Then he was hit with the cooking bug again when he watched Chef Kevin Ocella at a private club put dishes together with such ease and a deft touch that it left a lasting impression. As time went on, he started gravitating toward the back of the house.

“When I met Jarod Hutto, it took off like a freight train,” says Grauer. “Hutto’s degrees in biology and culinary arts challenged my imagination and skills like never before. One day he came in the kitchen and threw a bag of marshmallows and some ahi tuna on the counter. The challenge was: how do they fit together in the same dish? I passed the test.”

It wasn’t without a lot of hard work and continuing education.

Grauer comments on being a chef, “It takes self-discipline. It has to be in your blood. Chefs have an enormous amount of passion and pride in what we do, and we never take shortcuts.” Where does this passion come from? “It comes from my dad. Dad, known to his buddies as “Honest John,” always said, ‘If you’re gonna do something, do it right, and the right way. No matter if anyone’s looking or not.’”

A resident of Columbia, Grauer’s family has been in Tennessee since 1803. His distant cousin was Conf. Gen. Benjamin Jefferson Hill, Commanding Officer of the 35th Tennessee, Warren County – McMinnville. Gen. Hill was actually the last general to surrender in the Civil War.

After only a few weeks, Grauer has transformed the Commodore’s menu and staff with an emphasis on superior service, value and local ingredients. Local farm cheeses: Sweetwater Farms White Cheddar (Philadelphia, Tenn.) and Bonnie Blue Goat Cheese (Waynesboro) are featured on the menu. Grauer’s service was a big hit on Mother’s Day, with his tableside preparation of Bananas Foster. In addition, the same weekend, Grauer and his staff served 300 people at a community event, showcasing his group banquet experience.

Hotel owner Kathy Dumont is wearing a bigger smile these days, since Grauer came on board. She says, “Stay tuned — you’re in for a special treat whenever you visit the Commodore. We’ll keep restoring, renovating and improving here — we are dedicated to making it work in Linden. We strive to be an establishment the whole area can be proud of.”

The Commodore is named for Perry County’s namesake: Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who carried the flag “Don’t Give Up the Ship” in his victory over the British in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie.

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